It has been so neat to hear the student’s unique descriptions of the feelings they hear in music this month. It was a very fun topic to explore!

April will be about musical problem solving. I often think of solving musical problems as building a bridge. You have where you currently are, and a destination you want to reach. The student doesn’t have a bridge, but can build one using the right tools. The way I see it, the role of the teacher is to provide the student the correct tools for the job.

Week 1: Identifying the challenge

The student will play their piece, and I will ask them what part needs work, asking them to narrow it down more and more. Often a challenging “part” really boils down to just two notes- getting from A to B. Being highly specific about the issue is the first important step to solving the problem.

Week 2: Breaking it down

The student will identify the specific issue, then experiment with ways to isolate its different components. We will isolate the right and left hand parts (on piano), the rhythm and the notes, difficult notes, identify scales or patterns, or whatever the music challenge calls for.

Week 3: Building a toolbox

Again, the student will identify the specific issue, and we will brainstorm together the different tools that they have. What tool do we use to figure out a questionable note? What tool do we use to figure out a questionable rhythm? What tool do we use for a difficult passage? Etc.

Week 4: Creating exercises

Now that we know how to identify a problem, isolate its components, and have tools, the bridge comes in the form of little musical exercises that connect our current place to our destination. You have probably heard me walking students through this process during a lesson- they follow my instructions, playing specific musical bits. That is the bridge-building. Together, we will design exercise(s) to solve their specific issue.

Happy Spring!